AMERICAN CROWS in Canada

EARLY IN 2019, my friend Tim and I asked a young wildlife photographer in Vancouver BC to show us promising local sites for observing birds. He did not disappoint. First he took us to a forest roosting spot for dozens of Great Blue Herons near the Tsawwassen ferry terminal. Incredibly, the herons tolerate the presence of a small group of Bald Eagles that prey upon them, but also shield them from other eagles. Next stop was a wildlife preserve where bags of seed are handed out to visitors. As a result, birds such as Wood Ducks, which are easy to spook in the wild, walked right up to us. (I’ll say more about this place in a later edition.)

IN THE EVENING, the young man—who has subsequently won several wildlife photography awards—drove us to an unlikely spot, a neighborhood populated by concrete shopping malls, car dealerships, and office buildings. There, at twilight, thousands of crows daily gather on the buildings and nearby trees, circling and carrying on a noisy chatter among themselves. Given the boisterous activity, portraits of individual birds necessarily gave way to a photographic challenge—discerning visually interesting patterns of bird activity as the evening light faded. From the side of the parking lot where we were stationed, I saw an office building covered with mirrored panels and and focused my energies there. I still get a kick out of figuring out how many actual crows are in this photograph.

Nikon D500, 300mm, 1/1000 sec @ f5.6, ISO 500

AMERICAN CROWS are featured in my new book, Aves: Photographs of Birds, which collects the best of these pictures over the past five years. As a subscriber to Bird of the Week you are entitled to a ten percent discount on the book, which is also offered with an archival print of Neah Bay Doves. To activate your discount, use the code BOTW23 at checkout.

REVIEWS OF AVES

“Beautiful, evocative, mysterious. A true master.” – Bill Curtsinger, veteran photographer for National Geographic

“There is sensual magic flying near.” –Larry Fink, photographer and Bard College photography professor

“Stunningly elegant. Truly a work of fine art.” –Ray Troll, artist

“A sophisticated contemporary interpretation.” –Renee Dreyfus, Senior Curator, San Francisco Fine Arts Museums

“A true jewel in the world of art.” –Steve Brodner, artist and instructor, School of Visual Arts

“Beguiling photographs” – LensCulture

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